Overweight

Thirty million people in America have diabetes, but only fraction actually know it. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death as of 2015, along with heart disease, stroke, and cancer. It’s also one of the comorbidities of obesity. Roughly one third of Americans are obese, which puts many Americans at risk for type 2 diabetes. Knowing the signs and symptoms can help hasten a diagnosis, and being able to control blood sugar levels is crucial to limiting the harm that may come from the disease if it’s left unchecked.

The 2018 State of Obesity report has been released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The results are not heartening. Seven states have adult obesity rates over 35%. No states reported a decline in adult rates of obesity.

Exercise is crucial for everyone’s health and wellbeing, but it’s especially important for those seeking to lose weight and improve their health. This includes obese and overweight individuals striving for weight loss through diet and exercise, but also gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, and lap band incorporating exercise into their new post bariatric surgery lifestyle.

Bariatric surgery, specifically gastric bypass and gastric sleeve surgery, improves blood sugar in obese patients with Type 2 diabetes significantly more than medical nutrition therapy alone. These are the findings from the three year follow up by the researchers in the STAMPEDE clinical trial. In the study, 150 obese patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes were split into 3 groups: medical nutrition therapy, gastric sleeve, or gastric bypass. The goal researchers were trying to achieve was a glycated hemoglobin (or Hgba1c) of 6% or less, which indicates well controlled blood sugar levels.

Yes, you read that right. Scientists are looking at how platypus venom can help people with diabetes. First, the obvious question: platypuses have venom? Apparently, platypuses are a rare animal that have fur, lay eggs, produce milk but have no nipples, and are venomous.

In 2012, 86 million Americans aged 20 and older had prediabetes. That is, their blood sugar levels were elevated but not yet to the range to qualify them as diabetic. In prediabetes, sugar in the blood does not respond to insulin as well as it should, or the body is not producing enough insulin to […]

Dr. Shillingford continuously treats patients who struggle with obesity and a number of related diseases. One major health concern for people who are obese is type 1 or 2 diabetes. This is because excess fat makes it more difficult to for the body to properly use insulin, the hormone that maintains blood sugar levels. This […]